The most common question that first-time app builder’s face is which platform would be best suited for them and whether they should build on Android first or iOS first? It is highly recommended that you should build your app on one platform first, get feedback on it, test it and improve where necessary before moving on to another.
Figuring things out
Your app’s journey starts right from the initial stages of mobile app development. You will need to understand that apps will run differently (or may not run) on different app operating systems. When you start planning the development of your app, it is important to consider these points which help make the job easier:
- Developers – Check out which platform is popular amongst your mobile development partner before creating the app and which app is more convenient for them. Starting with the platform your partner is comfortable with will help make your app even better.
- ROI – You must consider the ROI that you are looking for on your app as it is a known fact that iOS users pay much more than Android users.
- Target audience – It is always preferable to start with the platform which has a higher user engagement as this will help you reach out to more customers easily and rapidly.
Know the Problems
While you will love designing and developing apps for Android and iOS remember that these two platforms are not entirely perfect. True, Google and Apple does try to make things as developer and user friendly they can, but they are still lagging in some departments. We will now discuss the pros and cons of these 2 major platforms to help you decide which platform would be best suited to build your first mobile app on!
Android Pros –
- If you are planning to build for Android first, as a new developer you can be rest assured that it offers you several advantages. Being based on a open source software, it lowers entry barrier for cash-strapped developers and also allows them to use the existing plugins and frameworks easily giving way to innovative creations in a shorter span of time.
- Android has also acquired a world-wide user base mainly due to its open source licensing and boasts of an 85 percent market share.
- Moreover, with Google Play and Kindle Stores having easy restrictions on the apps being submitted, developers can use new technology to build the app rapidly and easily.
Android Cons –
- The open licensing of Android is not all that good as it leads to fragmentation especially when the various devices and operating systems are taken into consideration. This basically means that when an app is built on Android, it must be tested on different devices so that the developer is sure that the various versions do not face dependency issues later on.
- When building on Android, a developer will have to build for several devices from different manufacturers. This makes QA a nightmare and the developer finds it quite difficult to get the UX/UI right.
iOS Pros –
- The iOS market boasts of some specific advantages which are not common to Android. iOS is extremely popular in the United States and if you are focusing American customers through your app, then your focus should solely be on iOS development and nothing else.
- Another thing to consider is that there are more than 200 million iPhone users around the world which itself explains how popular the platform is and the huge user engagement opportunity that the app developer gets.
- Moreover, the iOS platform is great for developers who wish to focus on in-app purchases as statistics reveal that the apps on iOS generate 400 percent more revenue than Android ones. Steve Jobs had announced on the launch of iPad2 that Apple had managed to return more than $2 billion to its developers since the advent of the App Store.
- There is one major advantage that iOS offers and Android doesn’t which is stability. iOS developers needn’t worry about fragmentation at all and can develop apps peacefully. With only 2 devices to build apps for, namely iPhone/iPod and iPad developers can easily build the UI/UX.
iOS Cons –
- If you are an amateur developer, you must remember that iOS users expect top-notch apps and the app you create for them to use should be great in both its look and its feel. Though certain frameworks are available, your development cost might just shoot up if an app is licensed proprietorially.
Understanding what’s in store will help you to develop apps that can run in an optimized manner. This can in turn improve engagement and increase user engagement, playing a part in the overall success of your app.
